Usability testing is a means to see how the real users see your product. In a typical usability test, real users are given products to use under controlled situations and asked to accomplish a task. The main aim is to improve upon the product/service based on the feedback received. While you go about this method of research to map the consumer’s needs, here are a few do’s and don’ts that can be kept in mind. Do get involved in the usability sessions and observe keenly. Being a witness to the participants’ reactions to your product can help you better understand the usability issues, which might be difficult for researchers to communicate through their feedback reports, presentations and meetings. Don’t draw conclusions based on the feedback from a few sessions. Feedback from a handful of consumers will not reflect the reaction of your entire target consumer. Look for trends rather than focusing on individual opinions. Do give a clear understanding to the researcher of your product’s value, goals of your product in the market and what you hope to achieve through usability testing. This will help in getting accurate results. Don’t be a dictator to your user research team. While stating…

The Consumer today is surrounded by different communication round the clock. Thanks to the socially networked, multi-media world we are living in today. Hence, the need for proper evaluation and development of communication to capture the target consumers. Before a particular communication is designed and developed for the consumer base, it is essential to understand the information needs of the consumer, communication elements that are important to be included, the type and tone of messages that need to be developed to maximize its appeal and gain credibility. For an effective marketing strategy and developing the right communication requires the following to be kept in mind: Know your target audience in and out The better you know your consumer base, the better you will be able to appeal to their senses. Knowing them thoroughly is the first step towards developing a successful communication plan. If there isn’t much information than a research plan is imperative. Find out the consumers’ demography, purchase patterns and other insights required. Identify your Unique Selling proposition (USP) If you identify and focus on the USP of the product, then it becomes easy to design a focused communication strategy. But the USP has to be compelling and…

What drives a shopper to make a purchase is the key to unravel the competitive dynamics of the category a product needs to be placed in. The factors that influence the way one shops, and makes a purchase are many. The decision can be based on advertisements, brand, price, pack size or a combination of all. To understand and analyze what can influence a shopper’s behavior the following questions can be asked: Who are the buyers for your products and services? What is the gender, age group, social class of the buyer? Figure out the type of buyer who will go for your product. Zero down upon who will be your target consumer. Who is the decision maker when it comes to buying the product? It is not necessary that the one who made the final purchase is the decision maker. The decision could be of someone else and the buyer could just be buying on someone’s behalf. Who influences the decision-making? Most of the time it is the person who dominates in the family, makes the decision. When it comes to household items, wives tend to make the choice or even children nowadays. Many ads can be seen targeting…

Marketing Audit researches the way an organization plans and manages its marketing efforts. It’s an in-depth survey, enabling organisations to measure their past and current performances in a competitive environment. Marketing audit is an imperative to marketing strategy creation. A structured approach to the collection and analysis of information and data about a company’s past and current operations, its performances (both inside and outside) and competition and what is needed in future, audits help create the building blocks for future marketing plans. The diverse and constantly changing business scenarios make it necessary to audits at a regular interval. The marketing audit is usually performed at the start of planning stage, and at the end of implementation stage to evaluate the current and future marketing strategies and evaluate the success of the measures. The frequency and the methodologies for an effective marketing audit can vary from the size of an organization to the industry that it caters. It also helps in assessing a company’s business readiness compared to competitors in terms of product value, sales, cost, market shares etc. However, many companies are still to realise the importance of a marketing audit in decision-making process. To get the best results, marketing…